Monday, June 2, 2025
HomeSoftwareTikTok ban: TikTok hires ex-Trump administration lawyer ahead of Supreme Court appeal

TikTok ban: TikTok hires ex-Trump administration lawyer ahead of Supreme Court appeal

Published on

spot_img


TikTok and its Chinese owner ByteDance have turned to a veteran US Supreme Court lawyer as they prepare to ask the justices to block a law that could ban the popular short video platform in the United States.

Noel Francisco, who served as US solicitor general during Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration, will represent TikTok along with his partner Hashim Mooppan at law firm Jones Day, court papers show.

As the Justice Department’s top Supreme Court advocate from 2017 to 2020, Francisco defended Trump’s ban on people from six predominantly Muslim countries entering the United States. He has argued more than 20 cases before the high court.

Defending the potential TikTok ban is the job of the Justice Department, which Trump will again oversee when he takes office on January 20. Trump has said he will not allow TikTok to be banned.

Francisco, Mooppan and Jones Day did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment. TikTok had no comment on Francisco’s hire.


Democratic president Joe Biden signed a law in April requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. US lawmakers said TikTok poses national security risks because China could compel the company to share data on its 170 million monthly users. TikTok has denied being beholden to the Chinese government.

Discover the stories of your interest


The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled last week that the law was constitutional. ByteDance on Monday asked the DC Circuit to put the law on hold pending Supreme Court review. Francisco’s firm advised Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Many Jones Day lawyers took prominent roles during Trump’s first term.

Francisco is currently representing major US gun makers before the Supreme Court after Mexico sued them for allegedly aiding illegal trafficking.



Source link

Latest articles

Trump Just Kicked Elon Musk’s Hand-Picked NASA Head to the Curb

NASA's top candidate for its still-open administrator position — a space tourist who...

iQOO Neo 10: Stands tall and stands out; Check full review

In an already competitive mid-range smartphone space, iQOO continues to sharpen its identity...

Anthropic ‘Reaches $3bn’ AI Revenue Rate, Spurred By Business

Amazon and Google-backed AI start-up...

Could a single uncomfortable call have changed gaming forever? How Nintendo’s silent betrayal turned Sony into a rival

In the early 1980s, America’s video game industry had collapsed, thanks in no...

More like this

Trump Just Kicked Elon Musk’s Hand-Picked NASA Head to the Curb

NASA's top candidate for its still-open administrator position — a space tourist who...

iQOO Neo 10: Stands tall and stands out; Check full review

In an already competitive mid-range smartphone space, iQOO continues to sharpen its identity...

Anthropic ‘Reaches $3bn’ AI Revenue Rate, Spurred By Business

Amazon and Google-backed AI start-up...